Smartphones eat more mobile data than tablets, largely due to LTE

Study shows tablets don't use as much data as conventional wisdom suggests.

Conventional wisdom suggests that tablets would consume more data on mobile networks than smartphones, since the larger screen typically means higher resolution or more complex content is sent to the device. But the latest study from network analysis firm Arieso suggests just the opposite is true: top smartphones, including the iPhone 5, Galaxy S III, and HTC One X, are transferring far more mobile data than the iPad or Galaxy Tab 2 10.1.

iPhone 5 users, with a larger 4-inch retina display, Siri, and 3D navigational maps, seem to be gobbling up the most data of any smartphone. Arieso's data is presented in terms relative to iPhone 3G users; on average, iPhone 5 users pull down four times as much data. Galaxy S III users use three times as much, and HTC One X users use almost three times as much. Also of note, Galaxy S III users upload slightly more data than iPhone 5 users on average.

The analysis shows that less mobile data is being used on tablets. iPad users tend to use about 2.5 times as much data compared to iPhone 3G users. On the other hand, Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 users are pulling down just slightly less data than Galaxy S III users.

What seems to be the differentiating factor is LTE. The iPads analyzed by Arieso don't have it; the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 offers it as an option. The smartphones using the most data in the study are also LTE-compatible models. When normalizing the data, Arieso said that usage patterns between smartphone users and tablet users are actually the same.

"Once you move away from raw consumption statistics, the most remarkable finding is the way in which people use smartphones and tablets," study author and Arieso CTO, Dr. Michael Flanagan said in a statement. "Regardless of device type and operating system, there is very little variation in the usage 'signature' between smartphone users and between tablet users."

As LTE allows data to be consumed at a faster pace, we aren't surprised by this revelation. Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same.

My guess would have less to do with LTE and more to do with people using tablets more at home (and over wifi) and phones more on the go, especially as newer phones have more and more capabilities (and want 2x resolution web resources for high dpi screens, etc). I'd like to see some numbers in the study about "usage minutes" vs "usage bytes" of mobile data.

My guess would have less to do with LTE and more to do with people using tablets more at home (and over wifi) and phones more on the go, especially as newer phones have more and more capabilities (and want 2x resolution web resources for high dpi screens, etc). I'd like to see some numbers in the study about "usage minutes" vs "usage bytes" of mobile data.

That's what I'm thinking, combined with phones being used more heavily for things like mobile photo and video capture and upload, music streaming, and always-on push email.

My guess would have less to do with LTE and more to do with people using tablets more at home (and over wifi) and phones more on the go

I agree. It's obvious that people don't use tablets out and about as much as phones as by their very nature, they are much less mobile. You might get people using tablets on busses and trains but in most other situations outside of wifi range, a mobile is the better choice.

Bandwidth IS a consumable resource and thus they should. At any given time there is only so much bandwidth available on the network. If you use some of it then it is not available to anyone else.

Not quite in the same way as say, oil, or corn. It is essentially infinite, but the carriers would like common Joe to think otherwise, for money.

Thanks for the input to the conversation though!

As to the article, is this honestly a surprise? Tablets with LTE (or even 3G) are much fewer than the number of smartphones using the same network. Of course, granular data would probably prove one way or the other.

And what is this 'normalize' about? Normalized in what way? WTF is the Arieso CTO talking about?

My guess would have less to do with LTE and more to do with people using tablets more at home (and over wifi) and phones more on the go, especially as newer phones have more and more capabilities (and want 2x resolution web resources for high dpi screens, etc). I'd like to see some numbers in the study about "usage minutes" vs "usage bytes" of mobile data.

That's what I'm thinking, combined with phones being used more heavily for things like mobile photo and video capture and upload, music streaming, and always-on push email.

They said usage signatures didn't change between tablet/phones. Instinctively that doesn't make sense to me because I sync all my pictures/videos with SkyDrive. Perhaps they only meant download data usage signatures were the same. Or maybe that type of upload usage is such a small percentage that it doesn't really affect the aggregate.

Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same.

How does that concluding sentence actually make any sense? You've just acknowledged that phones are carried around and are typically with a user "at all times" which is "unlike most tablets".

So how can "mobile data usage patterns" be "about the same" when the physical use patterns of the devices are already acknowledged as not being the same?

It doesn't matter if they have the same apps and capabilities - if people aren't carrying their tablets around with them to make use of the mobile data connections, they're going to use less mobile data than the cell phones.

The physical use patterns would have to be the same for this comparison to be valid; otherwise it's just saying "mobile devices use more mobile data than devices which are not as mobile".

When I got my Galaxy S III, I had to jump through hoops to keep my unlimited data plan through Verizon; they kept trying to tell me, "you only used 1.2 Gb/mo before." I insisted that going from a 3g Galaxy S with a cracked screen to a 4g phone with a larger display would cause my data usage to skyrocket, mostly from convenience, ease of use, and greater utility - (with 4G, video usage via Xfinity Player, Netflix, etc becomes a lot more doable) Sure enough.

Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same.

How does that concluding sentence actually make any sense? You've just acknowledged that phones are carried around and are typically with a user "at all times" which is "unlike most tablets".

So how can "mobile data usage patterns" be "about the same" when the physical use patterns of the devices are already acknowledged as not being the same?

It doesn't matter if they have the same apps and capabilities - if people aren't carrying their tablets around with them to make use of the mobile data connections, they're going to use less mobile data than the cell phones.

"Usage pattern" is much different and "usage volume." The point is that despite the fact that users use MORE DATA OVERALL with a smartphone compared to tablets, the WAY THEY ARE USED is the same. In other words:

"Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same."

Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same.

How does that concluding sentence actually make any sense? You've just acknowledged that phones are carried around and are typically with a user "at all times" which is "unlike most tablets".

So how can "mobile data usage patterns" be "about the same" when the physical use patterns of the devices are already acknowledged as not being the same?

It doesn't matter if they have the same apps and capabilities - if people aren't carrying their tablets around with them to make use of the mobile data connections, they're going to use less mobile data than the cell phones.

The physical use patterns would have to be the same for this comparison to be valid; otherwise it's just saying "mobile devices use more mobile data than devices which are not as mobile".

It is not talking about how much they download/upload. I read it as meaning the types of things they download/upload are mostly the same with the same ratios.

Basically, you do the same things on the tablet and phone, you just do it on the phone in greater quantities because it is with you in more places and has a faster connection.

Another usage case which seems to have been overlooked is tethering of laptops to phones which is likely to be more prevalent than it's use through tablets.

I often use my iPhone tethered to my laptop where the screen is even bigger than my tablets' screen. Downloading patches & other laptop specific content using a tethered iPhone would also tend to skew the data...

I do Web design and development--and it's still shocking to see how many sites there that are either desktop-only, or have a broken mobile experience.

As others have posted, it's not surprising that more data is used on phones--primarily because of convenience. Unless there is a compelling reason to bring it, my iPad stays at home.

The trend toward mobile is even more evident in the developing world. There will probably be large swaths of the global population that will be active online, but probably rarely, if ever, on a desktop or tablet.

"Usage pattern" is much different and "usage volume." The point is that despite the fact that users use MORE DATA OVERALL with a smartphone compared to tablets, the WAY THEY ARE USED is the same. In other words:

"Since smartphones fit in a pocket and are typically with the user at all times—unlike most tablets—it makes sense that smartphones would account for more overall volume of data use than tablets. But with smartphone and tablet devices using largely the same apps and capabilities, mobile data usage patterns from user to user should be about the same."

I understand your point about volume and pattern being different - my last sentence probably confused the issue there. Sorry about that. I was trying to make the same point in two ways and I didn't bring them together very well.

The point I'm trying to make is this: they say data usage patterns of smartphones and tablets are similar, despite the difference in physical use patterns. I'm saying that because the physical use patterns of the devices are different, you can't compare the two.

So the study is comparing two different types of devices in two different types of physical usage scenarios and coming up with the same data usage result. That's interesting, I guess, if "people do basically the same things on mobile networks with their smartphones that they do on their tablets, but they use the smartphones more because they're easier to carry around" is interesting.

If the goal is comparing just the data usage patterns, you'd have to make sure the different types of physical usage habits are the same. Then you could really see if the data usage pattern changes, or if it holds true (only affecting volume, but not pattern). To re-use my example, it should be:

I certainly haven't studied other people's usage patterns, but I've used my iPad most where there was WiFi. My iPhone is something I pull out of my pocket in random places (many without WiFi), but the places where I use an iPad are mostly those where I've planned to sit and use it for awhile — home, an office or a restaurant. Especially since so many public places have WiFi now, I prioritize my day for the places that offer it. My phone is for the quick things that I'm doing in random places, but the iPad is for times when I'm going to be using it longer (and thus plan for a place with WiFI). So I'm not sure that the lack of LTE plays a role in any of that.

Meanwhile, 10 other customers around him are all doing something on their smartphone. Someone is showing another person some cat video. Some girls are snapping pics of each other and emailing them to their friends. Some guy is telling his friend about the new album he downloaded and was listening to.

With just that small sampling of people, I'm not sure why folks would think tablets would consume more bandwidth overall than smartphones.

Yeah, I saw this coming when Verizon was first rolling out LTE. The 5Gb data plan for LTE was actually CHEAPER than that 5Gb plan for 3G. Simple reasoning... Verizon figured that the user wouldn't stay on the basic 5Gb plan for long. Faster data transfers means you start doing things that faster speeds allow for. You watch videos, play music, move files around, and browse more often since it's not slow-as-molasses 3G anymore. You do it because you can, and it uses more and more data.

There's an analogy that comes from back when I used to sell suits. It's like a tuxedo. A man never goes out to these fancy events since he would have to rent a tux each time. However, he buys a tuxedo, and all of a sudden there are all these events available for him to go to, and now he's using the tuxedo ALL THE TIME.

All smartphones come with a data plan. Not all tablets do. I don't think LTE is to blame at all. A 25 MB file is still a 25 MB file whether I download it using HSPA+ or LTE. So the LTE theory seems kinda bunk. The ONLY thing I might give some credit to is the idea that with LTE, a user is more apt to view video in HD when there is an option to view in HD or SD. That would incur higher data consumption as a result of LTE.

I don't have a plan tied to my Nexus 7 at all, so that finding's true for me by default, though I'd suspect I'm in the minority. Very late-adopter, I am.

But between the two, a tablet's more easily a standalone device that can live on wifi alone, that you get busy with when you're sitting down for an extended period at a hotspot. I don't know that I'd have a use case (personally) that would see me whipping out my tablet en route somewhere on foot/bus/car where I have no wifi. It's a little conspicuous!

"Conventional wisdom suggests that tablets would consume more data on mobile networks than smartphones, since the larger screen typically means higher resolution or more complex content is sent to the device."

Ya gotta run a poll before weakening the opening statement of your article with a statement like this to Ars readers.

C'mon people! As much as all the altruistic data-age dweebs would like to think, I am truly sorry to inform you that the Internet is not free..."I only access it work"... not freeNet Zero?... not freeWhile the Internet does allow a greater access to available data from outside sources... one must remember; the door swings both ways!Your data is collected as well! Who you are what you do online. What blogs you post to.Trust me. The NSA could no be happier about having such an unfiltered peek into your online private life. The Internet is NOT anonymous! You are tracked, categorized, and filed away for future reference on a daily basis...Free?What is "free"?I do not think that the current condition of the majority of the American people would allow me to realistically categorize them as free...Subjugated is the more appropriate term, I think.But hey! Life is very subjective. Perhaps I'm just another crackpot online...However, there is the outside chance that I am right...Wouldn't that be F-ing scary!

Not sure quite why this warranted the word Larger... after all, the other phones have larger, higher resolution displays...

This should perhaps have been

"Phone 5 users, with a smaller 4-inch lower resolution display"

If you wanted to comment on the iPhone display.

I thought the same thing, my older Galaxy Nexus has both a larger display in terms of resolution and physical size. Hell, the iPhone 5 with its 'large 4 inch display' is still pushing less pixels then an iPad 1 and 2, and which are all pushing less pixels then my specific Android device.

Although since all the maps are vector based now, I'm not sure exactly how much extra visual information I'm downloading versus someone with a smaller display. Most of the pages I go to tend to be low on images when on mobile, and I'm getting the same text regardless. I cant find a Youtube setting to select the image quality (other then enabling a generic High Quality in settings) to make sure I'm getting a 720p video instead of whatever it serves me.

Any photo uploads are dependent on my camera, not my screen resolution... (Which at 5MP is smaller then many phones with 8MP which would change my upload numbers significantly if I actually uploaded more then a picture every 6 months)

So I don't think screen size has much to do with anything except maybe my willingness to use it to do various tasks over a something else.

Personally, my phone tells me I use approx 1.5gb a month, but since I don't know what a iPhone 3G person uses in bandwidth, I don't know where my percentage would place against it.

Another usage case which seems to have been overlooked is tethering of laptops to phones which is likely to be more prevalent than it's use through tablets.

I often use my iPhone tethered to my laptop where the screen is even bigger than my tablets' screen. Downloading patches & other laptop specific content using a tethered iPhone would also tend to skew the data...

This man speaks the truth. Hell, 100% of the tablet owners I know have the wifi only version. When I bought an iPad recently, the shop guy tried to get me to upgrade to the cellular model. I asked him why on earth I would do that when I already have an iphone with a data plan?

This man speaks the truth. Hell, 100% of the tablet owners I know have the wifi only version. When I bought an iPad recently, the shop guy tried to get me to upgrade to the cellular model. I asked him why on earth I would do that when I already have an iphone with a data plan?

Other than being more expensive up front, buying a tablet with cellular data capabilities makes more sense in two ways - First you can always keep the cellar data turned off and not subscribe to a data plan but it's always there should your needs change or you can't tether your phone. You can't add 3G or LTE to a WiFi-only tablet after purchase. Second reason is the higher resale value of the 3G/LTE tablets versus WiFi only. If you look on eBay you'd be surprised how much the used tablets go for.

As more and more consumers continue to buy devices with LTE capabilities, carriers will need to invest in their radio access networks to handle the increasing demand for LTE services. Today’s LTE networks are focused on providing basic LTE coverage for devices, but can’t support a large number of devices on the network. In 2013 carriers and OEMs will work, towards increasing both coverage and capacity of LTE networks with the corresponding infrastructure investments.

All valid thoughts and studies but it still doesn't excuse providers to nickel and dime legit users to the bone in throttling, capping and *unlimiting their data. I don't think none of us care what backbone system thy have employed, or how "heavy" maintaining servers costs to charge us something out of the ordinary means of data, which is infinite (aside from electricity and hw) and not a finite source as water or food. It's time for true FM/1990's like DSL data to be employed. Devices are getting much more advanced, data heavy, yet not a single provider is moving forward to make compatibility or more commonly, sense aside from T-Mobile, which are making the right steps of employing true unlimited data. Great article.

In fact, my old tablet used more data on LTE than my current tablet does on GSM - even when I use it for the same things.

A big part of that, I think, is adaptive bitrates when viewing on-line video. YouTube and NetFlix both deliver different bitrates depending on your bandwidth. So while my usage habits haven't changed much, my actual data use has dropped dramatically.